amyloid

American  

[am-uh-loid] / ˈæm əˌlɔɪd /

noun

1. Biochemistry. a waxy, translucent substance, composed primarily of protein fibers, that is deposited in various organs of animals in certain diseases.

2. a nonnitrogenous food consisting especially of starch.

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adjective

1. Also amyloidal of, resembling, or containing amylum.

amyloid British  

/ ˈæmɪˌlɔɪd /

noun

1. pathol a complex protein resembling starch, deposited in tissues in some degenerative diseases

2. any substance resembling starch

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adjective

1. starchlike

amyloid Scientific  

/ ăm′ə-loid′ /

1. A hard waxy substance consisting of protein and polysaccharides that results from the degeneration of tissue and is deposited in organs or tissues of the body in various chronic diseases.

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1. Starchlike.

Etymology

Origin of amyloid

First recorded in 1855–60; amyl- + -oid

Example Sentences

More than 55 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer's disease, which is driven by the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain.

From Science Daily

Known as monoclonal antibodies, the drugs work by lowering levels of amyloid, a harmful protein that accumulates in the brain.

From Science Daily

For many years, Alzheimer's disease has been closely associated with amyloid plaques and tau tangles that accumulate in the brain.

From Science Daily

Their results, published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, reveal that chemical changes linked to Alzheimer's are not confined to amyloid plaques.

From Science Daily

Participants whose vascular indicators more closely resembled those of cognitively healthy adults tended to have lower amyloid levels and a larger hippocampus.

From Science Daily